[JETkoten]

Hi,

Shopping for a used Subaru, maybe a Forester, and went for two test drives today at a Subaru dealer (see my other thread in this forum for surprising details). The sales person invited himself along today. I have also gone for test drives at another area Subaru dealer and was given the keys for a solo test drive with no ride along.

On the test drives with this sales guy today, on three different occasions, he sort of would mildly panic and get bug eyed and say watch out and stuff like that. Not yelling or jumping or anything... but still.

I've been driving for more than a decade, have driven across North America nearly ten different times, and regularly drive with many other people who don't show the least bit of adverse reaction whatsoever while I'm driving. I just finished giving three people a ride to a conference last weekend without the slightest bit of fear from anyone on board. Today, I picked up on the guy's nervousness right away and drove very tenderly from the start and all throughout the test drives.

I'm wondering what you would do to find out more about these cars, because I felt like I couldn't drive them the way I would normally do (without a nervous sales person in my passenger seat)! :biggrin:

I've thought of asking the pre-owned sales manager about either asking for another sales person to ride along (a younger one?) or else to have a solo test drive, but I wonder if it'd raise red flags with them and they'd think I'm an aggressive driver or something?

J

 

[jgrote]

Offer to go with the manager. Tell him you want to go over some bumps and stuff to make sure there are no rattles in the suspension. Drive it like you would normally, and let them just hold on.:icon_eek: Oh, and wear this:

 

[SubieOutlaw]

See the manager and tell him you were not impressed with the behavor of the sales rep. You were not driving dangerously and did not appreciate teh comments.

 

[JETkoten]

See the manager and tell him you were not impressed with the behavor of the sales rep. You were not driving dangerously and did not appreciate teh comments.

Yeah, that makes sense, but what do you think his response would/should be?

 

[JETkoten]

Offer to go with the manager. Tell him you want to go over some bumps and stuff to make sure there are no rattles in the suspension. Drive it like you would normally, and let them just hold on.:icon_eek: Oh, and wear this:

Thanks for injecting some laughs into the thread! :icon_razz:

 

[stevemac829]

You don't have to badmouth the sales rep to the manager. Say you were distracted by the sales chatter and would rather drive it by yourself, or w/manager, or w/mechanic. At the end of the day, all the manager wants to do is sell the car...I don't think he'll much care who you drive it with. Good luck, and hit a few bumps for me!
Steve
09 2.5X AT

 

[JETkoten]

Offer to go with the manager. Tell him you want to go over some jumps and stuff to make sure there are no rattles in the suspension. Drive it like you would normally, and let them just hold on.:icon_eek: Oh, and wear this:

Oh yeah, I fixed it for you too... :icon_biggrin:

[just kidding!]

 

[JETkoten]

You don't have to badmouth the sales rep to the manager. Say you were distracted by the sales chatter and would rather drive it by yourself, or w/manager, or w/mechanic. At the end of the day, all the manager wants to do is sell the car...I don't think he'll much care who you drive it with. Good luck, and hit a few bumps for me!
Steve
09 2.5X AT

Yeah, the guy was a nice enough guy, he was just very very high strung... and there was sales chatter too... I don't want to bad mouth him at all.

 

[SubieOutlaw]

To be honest I do not hold car sales rep in high regard.
The manager needs to know what is going on. Present it in a polite manner. If he offers no solution then it tells you a lot about the dealership.

 

[JETkoten]

To be honest I do not hold car sales rep in high regard.
The manager needs to know what is going on. Present it in a polite manner. If he offers no solution then it tells you a lot about the dealership.

I guess, hopefully, the sales manager could see how having Nervous Nelson in the passenger seat would really stop me from being able to properly evaluate the cars I'm considering. I just wonder if while telling my story it'd somehow sound wrong to the manager though. With the sales guy so nervous, and how I need to see how the performance expresses itself at speed... what do you think? Makes it sound like I'm a boy racer or something, but that's very much not the case.

I have a 1997 Toyota RAV4 with a 2L engine that has 120 HP and 130 lb-ft torque, so the thing is, to be quite honest, one of the major reasons I am looking at moving to a Subaru is for increased performance. Both of the cars have almost twice the horsepower and twice the torque as my car, on paper, and I would need to know what merging on the on-ramp onto the highway or passing a car is like before considering buying them, most of my driving is highway anyway, so that's what really matters to me... :icon_cool:

 

[markyh]

Last January before I got my Forester the Sales Rep at one place not only went with me, but we had to go get gas! I will NEVER buy any car when the sales person wants to ride along with. Getting gas? That was just totally unprofessional to me and needless to say I didn't buy the car.

 

[JETkoten]

Last January before I got my Forester the Sales Rep at one place not only went with me, but we had to go get gas! I will NEVER buy any car when the sales person wants to ride along with. Getting gas? That was just totally unprofessional to me and needless to say I didn't buy the car.

Heheheh! We got gas for the Forester XT right before the test drive... seriously! :biggrin:

Problem is, they've got the biggest selection of anyone in my region. And the fairest prices as well. The other local dealerships will go like $1.5K over the going retail price (like from Edmunds or KBB) even for their internet price... and then these guys will put their internet price right on that going retail price.

What I'm really thinking about now is how can I talk to someone there to have them just let me go for my own test drive, maybe one exit up and down the highway by myself, and not have them panic and think I'm racing and/or stealing their car because I want more of a test drive than their "3 minute let's drive around the block [literally] with Nervous Nelson" test drive.

 

[damu0703]

eh, I like the reasonable answer that was already given; ask to drive the car alone. You don't need to bad mouth the salesman. As a matter of fact call him and tell him you would like to test drive the car again, only alone, so you can concentrate on the vehicle and not have to engage in a conversation. If he won't budge, then call the sales manager stating the same thing.

I have had cases where the salesperson basically threw me the keys and situations where they came along and stuck to me like Velcro. Doesn't matter to me because I drive the same way with them there or without them...

 

[steamloco76]

I had a high strung 'nervous nellie' salesman when test driving the Foz I purchased. Dealership is in town, but half a mile from a super twisty, steep road leading over a ridge. I took that route and DROVE the car like I owned it. Though his eyes were going to pop out of his head. He never said anything about it until after I signed on the dotted line- then "Man that is the first time anybody has taken me on a ride like that! I'll have to remember that road if I have a WRX driver wanting to see if it handles."

 

[JETkoten]

Thanks for all the good replies. This is my first time buying a car, so it helps me know what to do. For sure, next time I take the time to go all the way out to a dealer, I'm just going to drive how I drive, and make sure I get the testing I need to see if the car is a serious contender or not.

 

[The Black Box]

Don't drive recklessly but just floor it already. You don't have to go past 5K or so to get a feel for the car in first-third getting on the freeway. If the suspension is stock don't bother trying to wring it out in the turns.

 

[JBX]

Give the salesperson a couple of milligrams of Lorazepam before your next test drive.

 

[Blue Fox]

A proper test drive.....

YouTube - MUSTANG TEST DRIVE

 

[CARZAR]

I'd revisit the dealership, wander around and hope for a better salesman. As for a younger salesman, I had a young sales dude turn a light shade of pale a few years back when I was test driving a Mustang GT and recently had an old sales guy nearly foul himself when I took a 4Runner down a very steep winding hill.

 

[themathguy]

A proper test drive.....

<vid>

Wow, that's horrible! I feel pretty sorry for the salesman. I'll bet he learned his lesson though. NEVER let anyone test drive without a copy of his/her license.